• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Take a look at this water pump *update, problem solved*

A

Anonymous

Guest
I replaced the water pump over the winter since I had the engine apart and it had 7 years on it. I could not find a replacement for the one I had, so I looked around and ended up getting a NAPA pump locally. It looked strange when I checked it over, dbl checked with the local guys about the rotation and they convinced me it was correct. Fast forward to the last 2 track days (only time on the road) and the car would run too hot after a few laps. I took it apart this morning and compared what I have to the chart below and I'd SWEAR that the pump is reverse rotation, NOT a std CW rotation.

It's a LH inlet mounting to the stock 289 cover.

What do you all think?

Here's the chart showing my cover in the upper left.

FordTimingCoverChart.jpg


Here a pic of the pump.

778453203_photobucket_65692_.jpg


Found this PDF showing vane rotation
 

Attachments

  • Water pump vane direction.pdf
    581.8 KB · Views: 12
Last edited by a moderator:
Re: Take a look at this water pump

Mark

As I can see it , this waterpump has to rotate counter clockwise to have the correct waterflow ( iow : from the lower radiator opening to the waterpump, waterpump pushes the water into the engineblock through both cilinderheads via the intake manifold via thermostat and so back to the top of the radiator.)
My 0.02 ct opinion.
 
Re: Take a look at this water pump

Same here, if I'm reading that PDF correctly looking at the back of the pump as you picture it it should turn to the right which is CCW when you are facing the front of the pump. I'm thinking they put the wrong pump in the box if it was in a box with a CW rotation part number.

I think only very early pumps, '70-'73, maybe up to '78? were left hand exit and CW rotation for sure, think the later years flipped for the serpentine belt set up.

Your dished out areas where it heads into the openings for the TC are opposite too of what the CW pump looks like.
Even with the cover on you can see that the hole is at the top above the outlet and pointing down towards bottom, yours points up. look at the bottom right pic of TC you posted, that one is the only one that would line up with your pump dished areas:

'70 pump from Rockauto site
70302waterpump.jpg


Check out these threads:
http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/c ... stion.html
http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/all-for ... lemas.html

looks like their impellors face opposite yours for CW rotation.

From Edelbrock:
For 1970-78 302, 1970-87 351W
(5/8" pilot shaft) ........................................................................#8843 ..........#8848 ............N/A
Left-hand inlet with back plate. Dimension from casting to hub: 5.70". Inlet diameter: 1.78".

Jon
 
Re: Take a look at this water pump

According to the pdf, that is a ccw or reverse rotation pump.

Turning clockwise it should push the water into the channels. The pump you pictured is pulling the water when turning clockwise, cavitating the flow.
 
Re: Take a look at this water pump

:soapboxrant

I wish that chart would disappear and never, never ever come back. You CAN NOT tell if a water pump is forward or reverse rotation by just looking at the timing cover. That chart is VERY, VERY misleading. The only way to tell is to take off the back plate of the waterpump and look at the impeller. According to the so called "chart", timing cover RTCF-302D is for a forward rotation water pump, but that is the timing chain cover that came on pretty much every fox body mustang out there, which had the reverse rotation water pumps. I have run that timing chain cover with both a forward and reverse rotation water pumps with no adverse heating issues either way. And I drive my mustang during the Redding summers, but I stop driving it when it gets over 105

edit: the forum software chopped off the last bit of my post...and there was no cut and paste involved. Must have something to do with ASCII characters, cause I had included the ASCII character for degrees...but I digress.

I'll try and recall what else I had included...the only reason I stop driving the mustang at 105 is sitting at stop lights. By the time I get home, I'm sweating like a hoe in church. The car is fine.

The problem is a RTCF-351RF cover in the picture, that is off a 351W which was on the 94 Lightning or an F350. The shape of the ports on the timing chain don't matter or care whether it's a forward or reverse rotation pump. All that matters is that the ports on the t/c cover match the water pump, and the rotation of the pump match if you're running v-belts or serpentine.

When I first converted to the serpentine, I was confused by that chart. I was looking at the water pump and t/c cover that came off my '66 and what came off the '89 GT donor, and the ports were exactly the same. I just installed what came off the '89 and everything works good...at least water pump and temperature. I've got another major issue, but that's for another thread...
 
Re: Take a look at this water pump

Agreed.

If you spin a reverse rotation water pump the wrong direction it's not going to function properly no matter what It's bolted to.

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk
 
So I ended up getting a new water pump from Jegs. Nothing fancy, just their std house brand pump. Got it installed, let it set overnight and put everything back together. Filled with water and ran it up to temp. It had great flow inside the radiator and everything seems OK...so far. I'll test it out at the track on the 22nd as long as it doesn't rain.

I learned another lesson; never assume the vane direction is as advertised when buying a water pump!

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+ ... 0/10002/-1
 
"silverblueBP" said:
So I ended up getting a new water pump from Jegs. Nothing fancy, just their std house brand pump. Got it installed, let it set overnight and put everything back together. Filled with water and ran it up to temp. It had great flow inside the radiator and everything seems OK...so far. I'll test it out at the track on the 22nd as long as it doesn't rain.

I learned another lesson; never assume the vane direction is as advertised when buying a water pump!

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+ ... 0/10002/-1
Click to expand...

So, the vanes are pushing and look like what the pic I posted?

I think I may be dealing with a similar issue. I bought that high flow GMB aluminum pump I posted a link to. It'll be here tomorrow. 69 bucks at Sumitt, 38 at Advance.

Are you running a Mr. Gasket 160 T-stat or a 180?
 
It WAS a Stewart high flow 180, but now I'm going stat-less, per a few vintage racers. The car rarely if ever sees the street anymore and never when it's cold.
 
"silverblueBP" said:
It WAS a Stewart high flow 180, but now I'm going stat-less, per a few vintage racers. The car rarely if ever sees the street anymore and never when it's cold.
Click to expand...

The Mr. Gasket is a knock off of that one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top